False Bay Vineyards Peacock Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (3 x 750ml)

PEACOCK WILD FERMENT SAUVIGNON BLANC

Available Vintages

2020 & 2021

Helderberg and Schapenberg vineyards:
The finest coastal sites of W.O. Stellenbosch
Sustainably Farmed
Hand Picked
Naturally Crafted
Wild Ferment
Vegan Wine

IT’S REALLY ALL ABOUT THE VINEYARDS

When we selected the vineyard sites for our Peacock Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc, we looked for sites that can produce a wine of real interest, which excites the palate, develops in the glass and complements food exceptionally well.

We searched for vineyards with low yields, high natural acidity and flinty, mineral qualities – and these characteristics were found in abundance in ocean facing vineyards, within our cool Schapenberg ward as well as on the Polka Draai Road, both on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. These vineyards allow for slower ripening, a greater natural concentration of flavours and a long finish.

Our Peacock Wild Ferment range is named after the brightly plumed birds conspicuous in and around Waterkloof’s vineyards and if you are lucky you might just spot the albino peacock from which the label gets its inspiration from.

A GENTLE HAND

We follow a 'less is more', minimal intervention winemaking philosophy for all our wines: Grapes are tasted at regular intervals to determine the optimal ripeness level. Harvesting takes place by hand after which, the grapes are whole-bunch pressed in our horizontal basket press. Only the finest, free run juice is selected from the press, from which it runs down via gravity into tank. Clarification happens naturally over a 24-hour period without the addition of any enzymes or settling agents. The juice is then fermented with “wild yeasts”, which allow for the flavours in the vineyard to be expressed in the wine. No additions of tartaric acid were necessary, due to the natural balance found in the grapes. Fermentation took roughly two to three months to complete and the wine was left on the secondary lees for another two months before bottling.

AND A FEW PRAYERS TO MOTHER NATURE: THE 2020/2021 GROWING SEASON

The 2020 Winter started late but can be described as a cold and wet season. We received over 500 mm of rain during this time. The days heated up slightly but the evenings were freezing with a few frosty mornings. The vines were able to go into a good dormancy period.

We welcomed a warm Spring time and Summer without excessively high temperatures. The famously ferocious winds at Waterkloof played their part bringing down the yields but also lowering the disease pressure.

The remainder of the growing season was ideal, with enough sunlight and not too much rain - which could lead to mildew. We could see that the soils were still retaining the moisture- which is of course also ideal. Verasion only started much later than usually giving us the first indication of a possibly later picking season.

Our 2021 harvest slowly started around the 8th of February and reached full intensity from the 12th of February. The harvest conditions were positive with enough sun, not too much rain and few very hot days. The whites came in over a period of about 3 weeks, with the reds following immediately after. All harvest dates were determined by taste in the vineyard, waiting to achieve the ideal balance between phenolic ripeness, potential alcohol and acid. In terms of yield, there was some variation but overall, unfortunately for us the yields were down a lot on the reds and very similar on the whites compared to 2020.

TASTING NOTES FROM THE GLASS OF NADIA BARNARD

This Sauvignon Blanc has great complexity and expressed the varietal as well as they cool site with flavours such as lime, gooseberries and mineral flavours on the nose. It has a lovely texture and persistence. The wines shows a

vibrant but balanced acidity providing a long length on the palate. seafood or an fresh green salad!

Enjoy it on its own or with a variety of fresh

THE NUMBERS

Alc: 13.5 %

TA: 5.9 g/l

pH: 3.43

RS: 1.8 g/l